2017 Lamborghini Urus: The Practical Lamborghini

25 Cars Worth Waiting For: 2014–2017

What It Is:
Not counting all the Diablos wrapped around trees, the Urus is Lamborghini's second off-roader after the monstrous LM002 from the 1980s. Also, the only SUV by an exotic sports-car brand—at least for now. The angular, angry styling seems bent on turning urban roads into battlefields, but peasants in their Civics and Cavaliers may simply flee in terror.

Why It Matters:
Lamborghini wants the Urus to become its highest-volume model and its beachhead in China, which is clamoring for platinum-plated SUVs. It also fits the brand's rich-hipster image as well as its history as a purveyor of leather-lined tanks to the Saudi elite. It makes sense that Lamborghini brings out an SUV. It was always about extravagance, but less confined to particular segments than, say, Ferrari.

Platform:
Lamborghini's trucklet will use the second generation of the Volkswagen Group's modular-longitudinal platform, used by most Audi passenger cars and expected to underlie the next generations of the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, and Volkswagen Touareg.

Powertrain:
An Audi-derived 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 is probable; a hybrid variation and a diesel V-8 are possible.

What Might Go Wrong:
If China has another revolution, expect the country's rich to be dragged behind their Uruses and the market to go, um, soft. Elsewhere, Lamborghini and its marble-floored dealerships need to prepare for higher volumes. Waiting three months to replace a busted mirror won't fly when it's on one of the household's primary cars. With its LM002 history, Lamborghini at least can shake off the brand-dilution charges that plagued Porsche's similarly motivated expansion into more utilitarian vehicles.

Estimated Arrival and Price:
Well after the Bentley SUV, likely in 2016, for between $150,000 and $200,000.